Typewriter feed roll and the like



March 4, 1941. R. o. MILLER TYPEWRITER FEED ROLL AND THE LIKE Filed May2, 1939 i4? ATTR Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES r orrics TYPEWRITERFEED ROLL AND THE LIKE Application May 2, 1939, Serial No. 271,259

6 Claims.

This invention relates to rolls for typewriting machines and the like,such as are used for feeding and holding the paper around the typewriter platen.

A typewriter carriage in use requires almost continuous movement eitherin a step-b-y-step letter-feeding advance or in return to line startingposition, and therefore minimum weight of the carriage is desired. Theuse of paper feed m rolls in multiple on a single machine, as many aseight being preferred in the standard Underwood typewriter, m akes bothlight weight and economy in construction of these rolls importantdesiderata, to be attained, however, withoutforfeiting the accuracyrequired in the function of the rolls in maintaining alignment of thepaper.

It is accordingly one of the objects of the present invention to providea durable feed roll of light weight which shall be reliably operative inthe performance of its functions, and particularly adapted for economicfabrication and assembly.

Typewriter feed rolls usually comprise an outer cylinder or tire ofresilient frictional material such as rubber, installed on a core whichprovides bearings for rotatably supporting the roll on a shaft. For easeof assembly, it is desirable N that the periphery of the core present aneven cylindrical surface for reception of the tire. It

is, therefore, a further object of this invention to provide a feed rollcore presenting a plain periphery and which may be fabricated of uniformsections interlocking with each other to form a composite feed roll inassociation with the outer cylinder, the latter holding the parts insecure assembly notwithstanding the absence of flanges or otherprojecting members on the periphery of the core.

In its more specific aspect, the invention provides a feed-roll corethat may be fabricated of uniform sections, together forming a cylinderof hollow construction to provide end bearings 4 for the roll-mountingshaft, the core sections being especially adapted for manufacture bydiemolding of a plastic material, such as Bakelite, enabling the use ofsimple, inexpensive molds, notwithstanding the hollow structure of thecomposite roll core.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a. perspective view of a portion of ii a typewriter carriageunit, illustrating a platen and associated feed rolls representing atypical use of the invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the feed roll embodying theinvention,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the feed roll mounted on a shaft,portions of the roll being broken away in central section, and

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The numeral 5 indicates generally a feed roll [0 core which, inaccordance with the invention, comprises a pair of complementalinterlocking sections 6, 1. The complete feed roll may include an outercylindrical member or tire 8 usually of resilient, frictional materialsuch as 15 rubber, and having an internal bore 9 of a diameterapproximating the diameter of the composite core '5, and adapted to beassembled therewith by axially sliding same over the interlocking coresections to the position shown in '20 Figure 3.

Paper feed rolls, in their conventional use in a typewriter, asillustrated in Figure 1, are rotatably supported on a shaft l0 and areusually arranged in multiple on a single shaft, as shown, forcooperation with a typewriter platen ll. Each series of aligned rollsare yieldably pressed into contact with the platen H by suitable means,so that during feeding of the paper around the platen H, the feed rollsserve to hold the paper against the platen and maintain alignment ofsame during typing.

The rotatable mounting of a feed roll on the shaft I0 is afforded byproviding journals [3 preferably at each end of the roll core, eachjournal i 3 having a bore fitting the shaft In. In order to limit thebearing length of the journals l3 to the end portions only of the roll,it is desired that the roll core 5 be of hollow form presenting anintermediate internal bore M of a diameter larger than the shaft It) andof substantial length.

To permit the molding of each core section 6, l in a mold of simplecharacter without necessitating the use of separate, movable moldmembers, such as may be required to form the internal bore 14, and atthe same time provide a solid integral end portion l5 for each of thejournals l3, it is desirable that the core sections 6, 1 have a meetingor junctural line confined within an intermediate length of the core. Itis also desired that the core sections 6 and 1 be identical in size andshape so that both may be cast from the same mold, and the compositecore may thus comprise merely two identical products of the same mold.In accordance with the invention, each core section is formed of ahomogeneously integral mass and includes a cylindrical end portion l5forming the journal 5 I3, and an elongate channel portion I6 integralwith the end portion l5 and providing the internal bore 14 in theassembled core. It will be noted that when the two core sections 6, Iare assembled to form the composite core, the ends I! of each channelportion l6 abut the inner wall of the end portion l5 of the other coresection, and the longitudinal edges l8 of each channel portion matchingrelation. For simplicity of form, the 15 longitudinal meeting edges ofthe channels l6 are disposed substantially parallel with the axis of thecore.

As shown in Figure 3, when the feed roll is assembled with its two coresections 6, 1 together and the outer cylinder or tire 8 over theperiphery of the core, the tire 8 holds the two core sections againstradial separation from each other. The endwise or axial displacement ofI these core sections is prevented by an interlocking at the edges I Bof each section. This effect is accomplished by making each edge l8somewhat irregular in form, that is, by having the line of separation ofthe two channels I6 arranged generally in a direction longitudinal ofthe core, but in a sinuous or irregular path preferably symmetrically ofthe core. In the embodiment herein illustrated, each edge I8 is composedof two half lengths, each half being offset from the other to form astep or interlocking shoulder 20. To maintain identity of the coresections 6, l, the offset of the respective halves of each edge I8 aredisplaced equidistantly from a diametrical plane of the core 5, as shownmore clearly in Figures 3 and 4. In that the ofiset or shoulder "'1 isat the longitudinal middle of the edge I8,

the identity of each core section is further maintained. In other words,with reference to each channel portion l6, it may be said that same areso formed that each is a complement of the other 5 and, together withtheir integral end portions [5, complete a cylindrical roll core havingsolid journals. at eachend and an intermediate bore. Because of theelastic character of the rubber tire 8 which is installed on the coreunder a slight tension, the core sections 6, l are held in accurateregistry with each other and, in View of the interlocking relation ofthe core sections, endwise displacement is prevented and the feed rollis maintained dependably in its composite form,

It may be desired, to further assure permanent assembly, to affix thetire 8 in place by the use of a suitable adhesive while installing sameon the core, the adhesive being preferably applied to the periphery ofthe assembled core 5 just before insorting same into the tire. It hasbeen found that the adhesive thus applied penetrates into theinterstices of the junctural line between the two core sections so thatwhen the adhesive has congealed, the effect of a solid roll structure ishad. Although in the specific embodiment herein illustrated, theinvention is shown as being applicable to the feed rolls of atypewriter, it will be understood that the invention may be modified andembodied in other structures of similar charj acter, without departingfrom its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

It; also abut each other in What is claimed is:

1. In a feed roll for typewriters, a roll core comprising a pair ofcomplemental sections meeting each other at junctural areas, each ofsaid sections including a cylindrical end portion and c an integral,substantially semi-cylindrical portion, the junctural areas of saidsemi-cylindrical portions having correspondingly formed interlockingmembers.

2. A feed roll for typewriters, comprising a 10 hollow roll coreincluding a pair of complemental sections meeting each other atjunctural areas, each section including a cylindrical end portion and anintegral channel portion extending intermediate and longitudinally ofsaid roll, the junctural edges of said channel portions havingcorrespondingly formed interlocking members holding said sectionsagainst endwise displacement, and an outer cylinder embracing said coreand holding said sections against radial displace- Z0 ment.

3. A feed roll for typewriters, comprising a hollow roll core includinga pair of complemental sections meeting each other at junctural areas,each of said sections including a cylindrical end -15 portion and anintegral channel portion extending intermediate and longitudinally ofsaid roll, the longitudinal edges of said channel portions abutting eachother and being directed in a sinuous path symmetrical of said core andholding 30 said sections against endwise displacement and an outercylinder embracing said core and holding said sections against radialdisplacement.

4. A feed roll for typewriters, comprising a hollow roll core includinga pair of complemental, 35 uniform sections, each of said sections beinghomogeneously integral and including a cylindrical end portion, and anelongated channel portion extending intermediate and longitudinally ofsaid roll, the longitudinal edges of each channel 40 portion defininghalf lengths offset from each other and presenting a locking shoulde'rmidway of said edge, the longitudinal channel edges of said sectionsmeeting each other and interlocking to prevent endwise relativedisplacement, and an 45 outer cylinder embracing said core and holdingsaid sections against radial displacement.

5. In a feed roll for a typewriter, a composite feed roll bushingcomprising two separable, diametrically opposite substantiallysemi-cylin- 50 drical sections having each an integral full cylinderend, said cylinder ends constituting the opposite ends of the compositebushing, interlocking means for opposing relative axial displacement ofsaid members in either direction, and a 5 feed roll tire embracing thecomposite bushing and holding its sections concentrically together.

6. In a feed roll for a typewriter, a composite feed roll bushingcomprising two axially spaced cylindrical end-members having each apartso cylindrical extension forming a part of the composite bushingintermediate the cylindrical portions of the end-members, interlockingmeans for) opposing relative axial displacement of said members ineither direction, and a contractile feed roll tire embracing thecomposite bushing and holding its sections concentrically together,

RICHARD O, MILLER.

